1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sawing machine and a processor controlled sawing method for a workpiece, such as a plate member, and more particularly, to a sawing machine and a processor controlled method in which drilling and sawing functions for a predetermined plate member can be performed integrally or in a single operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
To shape a workpiece, such as a panel, plywood, or plate made of materials such as wood, paper, metal, etc., into products of a desired shape, it is generally necessary to perform a plastic deformation such as, for example, cutting, folding and bending a plate member. For example, in order to fabricate new products of various designs, a sawing and cutting process which cuts a predetermined pattern 103 from the central portion of a plate surface, as shown in FIG. 8, may be required.
However, it is often difficult to perform a sawing function in the central portion of the plate surface of a plate member 101 since two discrete functions are required. That is, a hole must first be formed at a predetermined position of the plate member 101 with a drilling machine or a punching machine to permit insertion of a saw blade therethrough, and then the sawing function may be performed with a sawing machine to make a desired shape. Therefore, use of prior art machines has proven to be inconvenient since two discrete operations (i.e., drilling and sawing) are required, and also a separate device must be provided to execute each function. Recently, such a dual function has been performed using a laser, but the laser has drawbacks in that a cutting edge of the plate member is uneven due to high temperatures associated therewith, and the manufacturing cost increases.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus capable of performing the two functions of drilling and sawing in a single operation.